Casual Coffee Conversations: Scott McCrea

In March I got a chance to sit down with Scott McCrea, President and CEO of Explore Fairbanks Human Resources. Scott a born and raised Alaskan, is a long-time resident of the Fairbanks area with over 25 years of experience in public relations, and marketing in the Interior.

Scott and I talk a little about the brand of Fairbanks, as being the Golden Heart. He then helps me unpack what Explore Fairbanks is as a visitors industry and how that ties into economic development. How local businesses are directly connected to the visitor industry and what it means to have a year-round destination. He shares some of the pros and cons of tourism, and the overall benefit too Fairbanks for residents. Together we talk about the aspect of quality of life, and how the visitor industry reflects that if you build a place where people want to visit, you will be building a place where people will want to live.

Scott shares the three visitor seasons, Aurora, The Midnight Sun, and Winter. One way Explore Fairbanks shares the season is through travel writers, travel agents, or tour operators. They do this by hosting familiarization tours, giving them a chance to test drive Fairbanks. This puts Fairbanks on the map as being one of the best places to travel to for seeing the Northern Lights.

Scott explains what membership at Explore Fbks looks like for local businesses. He also shares the importance of visitor engagement, ensuring visitors are given good, and accurate information. Why it's important to market Alaska and the results of being so well visited because of our strong, reputable, trusted staff, answering questions, and providing authentic advertising.

Explore Fairbanks makes sure expectations are set and how to be prepared for a visit to Fairbanks Alaska. What the difference is between a soft adventure vs a hard/rugged adventure. Scott gives a brief travel forecast for 2024 and explains different global marketing regions. We end on ways to experience the history of the gold rush history, as well as the importance of acknowledging the history of our people. Scott shares how Explore Fairbanks are the storytellers of Fairbanks and how amazing that is!